1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates wireless Cellular, Personal Communications Systems (PCS), Mobile Satellite, and Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Mediumn Earth Orbit (MEO), High Earth Orbit (HEO), Ellipsoid Satellites, and Geosynchronous Satellite networks. Specifically the invention relates to enabling remote control of switching functions and ground station functions. The invention relates to, and utilizes, standard signaling system seven (SS7) networks and Internet networks. These networks are used to deliver specialized data communications protocols that enable unique control of telephony switch platforms and base site controller(s) (BSC) via specialized Maintenance Position (MAP) and Test Position (TP) algorithms. The invention manipulates these various functions of MAP and TP for the purpose of maximizing switch, BSC and satellite station network bandwidth. The invention enables forward mobile and stationary communication terminal paging, mobile terminal velocity tracking, optimum base site management, and other important maintenance and testing functions, controlled from a remote location.
2. Description of Related Art
There are numerous means, methods and apparatuses in the telecommunications art today that enable various remote maintenance procedural controls. However, the invention enables a completely innovative approach to manipulating conventional-standard Bellcore Maintenance Position (MAP) or Test Position (TP) command sets from a remote location. The invention provides the means and method for causing cellular, PCS and satellite ground station switches to; initiate, and trigger forward control channel pages, registrations, and forward application specific messages. In addition the invention provides for base site identification number retrieval, specific radio control channel forward pages, multi-gang telemetry unit pages, application specific command pages, anti-fraud mobile unit velocity tracking, mobile unit location approximation, specialized caller I.D. messages, and other such data event actions. Furthermore, the invention can cause specific forward analog and digital control and signaling channels to page mobile units and stationary that are operating in specific base site areas. Single base sites, base site groups, and entire cellular and PCS networks can be used to page a specific mobile or stationary communications unit or multiple units. The invention provides these flexible means and methods while simultaneously minimizing host network bandwidth usage. The invention also enables unique manipulation of PSTN, forward traffic and voice channels and forward cellular page delivery and call setup means and methods.
The invention manipulates conventional Maintenance Position and Test Position command sets, within typical UNIX and NT station Man Machine Interface (MMI) computer terminals. These terminals are typically used to program, monitor and run maintenance and test protocols within landline, cellular, PCS and satellite networks. These conventional maintenance and test protocols can cause specific base sites to page, run registration tests, and other such procedures from manual command sets initiated by network personnel. The invention provides unique software that is installed in designated terminals. Once the software is installed, the terminal is then connected to a host signaling system seven (SS7) network and/or an internet network. The invention provides for unique SS7 internet packet protocols which contain specialized terminal software command sets. These command sets are used to initialize maintenance and test positions from a remote location, such as a specialized SS7 IS-41 compatible service control point (SCP), or service switch point (SSP). Specific IS-41 automatic roaming data packet protocols such as, Registration Notification invokes, Registration Cancellation invokes, Qualification Directives and Qualification Requests can be manipulated to contain specialized MMI terminal command sets without circumventing the conventional intention of the operational standard. In addition, the invention provides specialized TCP/IP internet formatted packets that contain the same command set information. These unique packets also contain mobile identification numbers (MIN) that are used for the forward paging actions, and other host network command sets that cause specific heretofore mentioned actions to be initialized and completed. The invention provides MMI terminal software modifications, operational modifications without interfering with the conventional use of these terminals. Most conventional MMI Terminals are UNIX or NT based, and therefore has built-in multitasking features. The invention exploits their inherent multitasking features, so that host network personnel can still manually use the terminal while at the same time the terminals perform the inventions automatic functions. As such, these designated MMI terminals become a point-of-presence (POP) on a designated host SS7 network or internet network. Single MMI terminals, and cascaded groups of terminals embodied in Host Network Management Centers can be attached as single network nodes with global, cluster and node originating point codes (OPC) and destination point codes (DPC), that are recognizable as SS7 POPs.
The invention also provides for unique message usage's of SS7 signaling protocols that are embodied in Interim Standard (IS) 41A, 41B, 41C; Qualification Directive, Qualification Request, Registration Notifications, Registration Cancellation, Service Profile Directive, and Location/Routing Request Invokes.